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Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Tuesday news and notes

I took a two week break from blogging. Didn't feel like I had much to say but with more friends and acquaintances heading to Afghanistan. I had better get back on the stick.

I had been complaining about the lack of inaction by the VA in processing Mark's GI Bill benefits. I shouldn't have. He's been one of the lucky ones. See story and link below:

Veterans Get Some Relief With Tuition$3,000 Advances to Bridge GI Bill Backlog

By Emma BrownWashington Post Staff WriterSaturday, September 26, 2009

Thousands of veterans who returned to school this semester under the Post-9/11 GI Bill and have yet to receive tuition, housing and textbook payments from the Department of Veterans Affairs will each be eligible for $3,000 in emergency aid, agency officials announced Friday.

"Students should be focusing on their studies, not worrying about financial difficulties," Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki said in a statement.

The agency has been overwhelmed by a flood of applications. Of the 251,000 students who have submitted claims this year, 24,186 -- less than 10 percent -- have received checks, according to Veterans Affairs officials. They point out, however, that not all of those students intend to use the benefits this year. Although many universities are deferring tuition payments, the delays have forced students to take out loans, rack up credit card debt and consider dropping out of school in order to meet living expenses, according to veterans and groups that advocate on their behalf.

It was two years ago while Mark was on his first deployment. The theme that year was national parks. Each of the park units designated an artist to depict the park on an ornament. Those were the only rules.